"We had the right plan in place, just because you didn't execute doesn't mean you throw the idea out the window.

"Stick to the process, just have a little bit of faith. It's Craig's job to analyse the team critically in terms of performance but it is our job as senior players to keep the mood up and keep the confidence up."

After a strong start to the 2015 season which saw Melbourne sitting on top of the NRL table heading into Round 12, the halfback put the result into perspective.

"We've been super competitive all year long and we will be for the rest of the year, no doubt about that," Cronk said.

"Don't lose faith, this football team can compete with the best teams. We didn't do that tonight.

"We've improved from last year and just don't get lost in what you're about this year."